SHS Seniors Visit the Boston MFA

On Friday November 6th, students from Sandwich High School visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to complete a project for their Honors English 12: Global Voices class.

“Their assignment was to find three pieces of art and to connect them to the literature we’ve read in class this semester,” Mr. Childress, their English instructor, explained. “Works of literature included Ishmael Beah’s novels A Long Way Gone and Radiance of Tomorrow, Khaled Hosseini’s novels The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and And the Mountains Echoed and various short stories.”

Students viewed works by Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Herb Ritts, and contemporary artists such as Sarah Sze.

“It was interesting being able to experience so many different types of pieces,” Andrew Sivco said. “While it was challenging relating the various pieces to my book, I enjoyed the assignment because I had to look at pieces in ways I haven’t viewed them before.”

After their visit, students presented their works using a website called Thinglink in which the pictures are presented with information linked to their works of literature.

“It was an enriching experience,” Sierra Dubuque commented. “While the purpose was to connect works to literature, we also got to see so many other types of art, even if it didn’t relate to our literature.”

“When I planned this trip,” Mr. Childress said, “my intention was not only to have the students make connections between the artworks and the literature they’ve read but to learn a little about this great resource we have in Boston. The MFA has some fabulous works of art, and I think these students saw the value of museums such as this.”